Archive for the Literary Fiction Category

A special, featured blog by NIAF’s Board of Directors Member and Executive Vice President of Scholarships, Grants and Youth Activities, Robert V. Allegrini.

It’s cold and dark, but – fortunately – hairless inside the left nostril of Hillary Clinton as I pop my head in it while examining a giant paper-mâché replica of her head, which is seemingly discarded outside one of the enormous hangers at the Cittadella del Carnevale. The “Citadel of the Carnival” serves as a workshop where magnificent floats are assembled for Italy’s best-loved carnival, the Carnival of Viareggio – a lovely seaside town in Tuscany that is less than an hour from Lucca.

The Italians have always known how to throw a good party. After all, the very term bacchanalian comes from the debauchery of Roman “bacchanalia.” So when it comes to Carnival, it is no surprise that Italy need not take a backseat to Rio De…

Communicating with animals is almost like a superpower. We can communicate with domestic animals, but when it comes to other species, it seems quite impossible. But Anna Breytenbach is an exception. She is an interspecies communicator and claims that she can relay messages to animals. It seems farfetched, but the following video speaks for itself.

This video shows Anna communicating with a black leopard named Diablo. Diablo was the one cat that refrained from getting out of his enclosure. He snarled at anyone who walked by. After a while with Anna, she reported that he was angry because of his previous bad experiences with humans. After their session, there was a total change in his behavior. His handler was left in tears because of this!

Did this video leave you stunned? Share with all your friends and family!

The exclusive only member’s club founded in London in 1995, has now announced the opening of its new House in Barcelona. Located in the Gothic Quarter, the heart of the city, Soho House Barcelona is set in a striking 19th century building in the historic Duke of Medinaceli Square, overlooking well-known Port Vell marina. The House counts with 57 bedrooms, club spaces, a roof terrace, Cowshed spa, a gym and two heated pools.

Background

The first Soho House opened in 1995 as a home from home for those in the film, media and creative industries. Ever since, the group has carefully expanded to include 18 Houses across Europe and North America, as well as 38 restaurants, cinemas, spas and hotels. Each House is slightly different depending on its location, but the ethos of the Houses has remained the same: to create a comfortable home for a community of like-minded, creative people…